Mechanical Watches and Hand-wound Watches Girard-Perregaux: The world's first mass-produced wristwatch brand
Girard-Perregaux (GP) is a Swiss company based in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
A watch manufacturer headquartered in
It currently belongs to the Kering Group, a major fashion company along with LVMH and Richemont.
The group is also known for owning Gucci and another watch brand, Ulysse Nardin.
Since its founding, Girard-Perregaux has been committed to in-house manufacturing.
It is renowned as one of the few manufacturers.
Rolex is one brand that has continued to manufacture its own watches since its founding.
However, the big difference between Girard-Perregaux and Rolex is that Girard-Perregaux
Perhaps it's because it has more features that make it a luxury item.
For example, Rolex is a "practical watch", with an Oyster case and a Datejust.
The mechanism is substantial, but it has minute repeaters, tourbillons, perpetual calendars,
There are no watches with complications such as split-second chronographs.
In that respect, Girard-Perregaux has such artistic value as a "luxury item."
It is notable that watches with complicated mechanisms are also being released.
In addition, as mentioned above, there are conditions for a grand complication.
A watch that does not have a super complicated mechanism and is more accessible to us
This is one of the charms of Girard-Perregaux.
Some watches can be purchased for around 400,000 yen, so even beginners to watches can enjoy them.
It is one of the best watch brands for first time buyers.
In fact, this brand was the first to sell Swiss watches in Japan.
It was thanks to the efforts of this company that watch culture became more widespread in Japan.
■ History
1 Jean-François Bottogirard-Perregaux is a brand formed through the intertwining of many iconic figures.
If we unravel each of these tangled strings, we find that its history dates back to 1791.
The origins of Girard-Perregaux lie with one watchmaker, Jean-François Botté.
Jean-François Botté was born in 1772 to a modest, working-class family in Geneva.
However, he was orphaned at a young age and entered the world of craftsmen at the age of 12.
You will learn a variety of skills such as case assembler, jeweller, goldsmith and watchmaker.
At the tender age of 19, he began making his own watches, which became the basis for the manufacture.
A group of artisans was formed.
He was so successful there that he expanded his sales to Europe, Turkey, India and China.
He was also written about by such historically renowned authors as Balzac and Dumas.
After his death in 1837, the business was succeeded by Jacques Bott and Jean-Samuel Rossel.
Those who praised his achievements erected a tombstone for him in Plainpalais Cemetery in Geneva, where it remains to this day.
2 Constant Girard Another source lies in Constant Girard.
As his name suggests, Constant Girard is the man Girard-Perregaux is named after.
Born in 1825 in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Jura Mountains, he became a watchmaker when
It may be the fate of people born in this area. In 1852, Girard & Cie was founded.
Two years later, he married Marie Perregaux, also from a watchmaking family in Le Locle.
In 1856, the two men combined their names to form Girard-Perregaux.
In 1880, at the request of Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, for the German Navy,
2,000 watches with lattice-covered glass were produced.
At the time, wristwatches were still in their infancy, but they were the first to mass-produce wristwatches.
This resulted in the brand leaving its mark in history.
He exhibited the Three Gold Bridges at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1889.
The Tourbillon was released and won a gold medal.
This became a masterpiece for Girard-Perregaux.
Later, together with his brothers-in-law Henri Perregaux and Jules Perregaux, he expanded into the Americas.
His brother-in-law, François Perregaux, went to Singapore in 1859.
The following year, in 1860, he came to Japan and sold the first Swiss watches in Japan.
In this way, Girard-Perregaux spread its name throughout the world.
3 Otto Graef Girard-Perregaux was founded in 1906 by Constant Girard.
Constant Girard-Gallet acquires BOTTO.
This was the moment when the two sources introduced in 1 and 2 became one for the first time.
22 years later, German watchmaker Otto Graef founded the company.
MIMO acquired Girard-Perregaux and then rapidly expanded its sales channels around the world.
In the 1940s, the company made a full-scale entry into the American market, and gained popularity with the Seahawk, a model that is still available today.
Otto Graef himself passed away in 1948, but in the 1970s he worked with Seiko.
At the same time, he invented the world's first quartz watch.
However, the quartz crisis caused by the Japanese-style quartz developed by Seiko
The impact was enormous and profound for Girard-Perregaux as well.
4 Luigi Macaluso Girard-Perregaux responded to the Quartz Shock by
Like other Swiss luxury watch brands, they see the potential for a counterattack in mechanical watches.
In 1992, the auto racer and businessman Luigi Macaluso was given management control.
Starting with its partnership with Ferrari, the brand has grown steadily and established itself as a luxury watch brand.
It has recovered to the point where it can establish a solid foundation.
■Representative model: Haute Horlogerie This is Girard-Perregaux's most luxurious line, equipped with a complex mechanism and filled with a sense of luxury.
In particular, it is a masterpiece that won a gold medal at the Paris World Exposition by Constant Girard.
A wristwatch-style modified version of the Three Gold Bridges Tourbillon.
The Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is also equipped with a minute repeater.
Grand Complication. This is an ultra-luxury watch that costs over 40 million yen.
・Vintage 1945
The line has a classical Art Deco shape. The face is simple,
It's a model that can be worn anywhere.
As for price, unless it is a commemorative model, many can be purchased for around 400,000 yen.
・Girard-Perregaux 1966
In 1966, the watch was equipped with a high-frequency movement that utilized Gyromatic technology and vibrated at 36,000 vibrations per hour.
This improved the accuracy of the watch.
This collection was created as a homage to a watch developed in 1966.
This technology is housed in an ultra-thin case, making this a very delicate watch.
・The Hawk Hawk series is a sports collection with waterproof features.
The movement is covered by a sturdy case, giving it a rugged and unassuming appearance.
The Traveler is, as its name suggests, equipped with a moon face, GMT function, world timer, etc.
This collection is perfect for people who travel the world.
The look is more subdued than similar collections from other brands.
Another notable feature is that some models can be purchased for around 400,000 yen.
- Cat Eye: A collection for women. It is named after its oval shape.
Its roundness gives it a feminine and gentle impression, and when decorated with diamonds,
The case is filled with elegance befitting a mature woman.
Girard-Perregaux is a rare manufacture that continues to produce its own watches.
They are a rare technological innovator who continues to create new movements today.
Why not try experiencing this spirit for yourself?
